Chinese New Year

Food at Chinese New Year

Food is very important at New Year. People eat things which are thought to be lucky. Prawns are popular because the Chinese word for prawn is ha and this sounds like laughter. Fish is eaten because the word for fish sounds like the word for plenty, so having fish at New Year is a wish for having plenty during the coming year. A whole chicken, complete with head and feet, is sometimes cooked as a symbols of completeness. Long, uncut noodles are a symbol of long life. People often have round, orange fruits, like mandarins, as these are a symbol of gold (wealth).